Wendy Nicklin
President and Chief Executive Officer
Accreditation Canada


Making Quality Worklife a Priority

What comes to mind when you think of spring? Melting snow, longer days, spring bulbs peeking through the earth. But the one sure sign that spring is on its way is spotting the first robin. That’s when I know it is time to move on from winter and welcome a fresh new season.

It’s thoughts of spring that I have now as I reflect on our Worklife issue of Qmentum Quarterly. It wasn’t so long ago the Canadian health care system seemed to be in the dark about the whole concept of worklife, buried like bulbs asleep under the snow. But slowly, the awakening began and the idea sprang to life, bringing us the achievements we profile in this issue.

We begin with Eva Szczerba and Tara Connolly from the Quality Worklife–Quality Healthcare Collaborative (QWQHC). Their article details the work of the QWQHC since its formation in 2005. Many of our contributors have been influenced by this work.

Carla Anglehart and Mary Baldwin from the Nova Scotia Association of Health Organizations discuss an approach to creating and sustaining organizational health in Nova Scotia’s health system that has been building momentum over the last several years. Mélanie Lavoie-Tremblay, Chantal Viens, and Michèle Marquette describe PRO-ACTIVE, a three-stage research program in Quebec that has an association, government, and academics partnering to support health care managers as they embark on organizational transformation.

Patricia Boucher, Joseline Sikorski, and Kathryn Nichol of the Ontario Safety Association for Community and Healthcare (OSACH) review the relationship between employee and client safety, and explain the OSACH Health and Safety Management System that was designed specifically for the health and community care sector. Mireille Cyr-Hansen summarizes how Accreditation Canada, in partnership with Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, is examining how accreditation can contribute to addressing workplace violence.

Fadi El-Jardali once again offers an international perspective. He discusses the challenges hindering the development of health human resources in the Middle East and notes how Middle Eastern health care organizations can learn from the Canadian experience.

There are some great worklife initiatives occurring within Canadian health care organizations. Toby Maloney of Seven Oaks General Hospital in Winnipeg explains his organization’s turnaround to become a leader for workplace health in Manitoba, in part because of the award-winning Wellness Institute and the Health Risk Appraisal tool. Richard McConnell of VON Canada describes the three-stage FACE Performance process—an approach that optimizes performance and builds a better place to work—and provides an example of FACE at work in the field.

Accreditation Canada was at the forefront of raising awareness of worklife in health care, integrating worklife into the standards in 1999. Tracy Murphy summarizes Accreditation Canada’s worklife-related leadership over the past decade, including the phases of our worklife strategy and the importance of worklife in the Qmentum accreditation program.

We end this edition with an inspiring article from Marlene Smadu. She offers practical advice to start you on the journey to enhance quality of worklife where you work. Her seven steps will leave you wanting to begin today.

And why not start today? Spring inspires action. At Accreditation Canada, we are committed to strengthening our role in sharing knowledge and expertise across the country. Through ongoing collaboration and sharing of our achievements, I am confident we will all continue to make quality worklife a priority.

Until next time…